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Sola D, Tran L, Våge J, Madslien K, Vuong TT, Korpenfelt SL, Ågren EO, Averhed G, Nöremark M, Sörén K, Isaksson M, Acín C, Badiola JJ, Gavier-Widén D, Benestad SL. Heterogeneity of pathological prion protein accumulation in the brain of moose (Alces alces) from Norway, Sweden and Finland with chronic wasting disease. Vet Res 2023; 54:74. [PMID: 37684668 PMCID: PMC10492377 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01208-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative, transmissible, and fatal disorders that affect several animal species. They are characterized by the conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the pathological prion protein (PrPSc). In 2016, chronic wasting disease (CWD) gained great importance at European level due to the first disease detection in a wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway. The subsequent intensive CWD surveillance launched in cervids resulted in the detection of CWD in moose (Alces alces), with 11 cases in Norway, 3 in Finland and 4 in Sweden. These moose cases differ considerably from CWD cases in North American and reindeer in Norway, as PrPSc was detectable in the brain but not in lymphoid tissues. These facts suggest the occurrence of a new type of CWD. Here, we show some immunohistochemical features that are clearly different from CWD cases in North American and Norwegian reindeer. Further, the different types of PrPSc deposits found among moose demonstrate strong variations between the cases, supporting the postulation that these cases could carry multiple strains of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Sola
- Centro de Encefalopatías Y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragón, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Linh Tran
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Ås, Norway
| | - Jørn Våge
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Ås, Norway
| | - Knut Madslien
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Ås, Norway
| | - Tram T Vuong
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Erik O Ågren
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustav Averhed
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Nöremark
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kaisa Sörén
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mats Isaksson
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cristina Acín
- Centro de Encefalopatías Y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragón, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan José Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías Y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragón, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Dolores Gavier-Widén
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sylvie L Benestad
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Ås, Norway
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2
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Nakano H, Hamaguchi T, Ikeda T, Watanabe‐Nakayama T, Ono K, Yamada M. Inactivation of seeding activity of amyloid β‐protein aggregates in vitro. J Neurochem 2021; 160:499-516. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Nakano
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamaguchi
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tokuhei Ikeda
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Neurology Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital Kanazawa Japan
| | - Takahiro Watanabe‐Nakayama
- World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)‐Nano Life Science Institute Kanazawa University Kanazawa Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology Department of Internal Medicine Showa University Tokyo Japan
| | - Masahito Yamada
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine Department of Neurology Kudanzaka Hospital Tokyo Japan
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3
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Dear AJ, Michaels TCT, Knowles TPJ, Mahadevan L. Feedback control of protein aggregation. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:064102. [PMID: 34391352 DOI: 10.1063/5.0055925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of peptides and proteins into amyloid fibrils plays a causative role in a wide range of increasingly common and currently incurable diseases. The molecular mechanisms underlying this process have recently been discovered, prompting the development of drugs that inhibit specific reaction steps as possible treatments for some of these disorders. A crucial part of treatment design is to determine how much drug to give and when to give it, informed by its efficacy and intrinsic toxicity. Since amyloid formation does not proceed at the same pace in different individuals, it is also important that treatment design is informed by local measurements of the extent of protein aggregation. Here, we use stochastic optimal control theory to determine treatment regimens for inhibitory drugs targeting several key reaction steps in protein aggregation, explicitly taking into account variability in the reaction kinetics. We demonstrate how these regimens may be updated "on the fly" as new measurements of the protein aggregate concentration become available, in principle, enabling treatments to be tailored to the individual. We find that treatment timing, duration, and drug dosage all depend strongly on the particular reaction step being targeted. Moreover, for some kinds of inhibitory drugs, the optimal regimen exhibits high sensitivity to stochastic fluctuations. Feedback controls tailored to the individual may therefore substantially increase the effectiveness of future treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Dear
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Thomas C T Michaels
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - L Mahadevan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Physics, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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4
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Friesen M, Meyer-Luehmann M. Aβ Seeding as a Tool to Study Cerebral Amyloidosis and Associated Pathology. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:233. [PMID: 31632238 PMCID: PMC6783493 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolded proteins can form aggregates and induce a self-perpetuating process leading to the amplification and spreading of pathological protein assemblies. These misfolded protein assemblies act as seeds of aggregation. In an in vivo exogenous seeding model, both the features of seeds and the position at which seeding originates are precisely defined. Ample evidence from studies on intracerebal injection of amyloid-beta (Aβ)-rich brain extracts suggests that Aβ aggregation can be initiated by prion-like seeding. In this mini-review article, we will summarize the past and current literature on Aβ seeding in mouse models of AD and discuss its implementation as a tool to study cerebral amyloidosis and associated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Friesen
- Department of Neurology/Neurodegeneration, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Meyer-Luehmann
- Department of Neurology/Neurodegeneration, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModulBasics), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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5
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Enhanced detection of prion infectivity from blood by preanalytical enrichment with peptoid-conjugated beads. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216013. [PMID: 31513666 PMCID: PMC6742390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions cause transmissible infectious diseases in humans and animals and have been found to be transmissible by blood transfusion even in the presymptomatic stage. However, the concentration of prions in body fluids such as blood and urine is extremely low; therefore, direct diagnostic tests on such specimens often yield false-negative results. Quantitative preanalytical prion enrichment may significantly improve the sensitivity of prion assays by concentrating trace amounts of prions from large volumes of body fluids. Here, we show that beads conjugated to positively charged peptoids not only captured PrP aggregates from plasma of prion-infected hamsters, but also adsorbed prion infectivity in both the symptomatic and preclinical stages of the disease. Bead absorbed prion infectivity efficiently transmitted disease to transgenic indicator mice. We found that the readout of the peptoid-based misfolded protein assay (MPA) correlates closely with prion infectivity in vivo, thereby validating the MPA as a simple, quantitative, and sensitive surrogate indicator of the presence of prions. The reliable and sensitive detection of prions in plasma will enable a wide variety of applications in basic prion research and diagnostics.
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Dear AJ, Šarić A, Michaels TCT, Dobson CM, Knowles TPJ. Statistical Mechanics of Globular Oligomer Formation by Protein Molecules. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:11721-11730. [PMID: 30336667 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b07805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The misfolding and aggregation of proteins into linear fibrils is widespread in human biology, for example, in connection with amyloid formation and the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The oligomeric species that are formed in the early stages of protein aggregation are of great interest, having been linked with the cellular toxicity associated with these conditions. However, these species are not characterized in any detail experimentally, and their properties are not well understood. Many of these species have been found to have approximately spherical morphology and to be held together by hydrophobic interactions. We present here an analytical statistical mechanical model of globular oligomer formation from simple idealized amphiphilic protein monomers and show that this correlates well with Monte Carlo simulations of oligomer formation. We identify the controlling parameters of the model, which are closely related to simple quantities that may be fitted directly from experiment. We predict that globular oligomers are unlikely to form at equilibrium in many polypeptide systems but instead form transiently in the early stages of amyloid formation. We contrast the globular model of oligomer formation to a well-established model of linear oligomer formation, highlighting how the differing ensemble properties of linear and globular oligomers offer a potential strategy for characterizing oligomers from experimental measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Dear
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , U.K
| | - Anđela Šarić
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living Systems , University College London , Gower Street , London WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Thomas C T Michaels
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , U.K.,Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , U.K
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge CB2 1EW , U.K.,Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics , University of Cambridge , JJ Thomson Avenue , Cambridge CB3 0HE , U.K
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7
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Nizynski B, Nieznanska H, Dec R, Boyko S, Dzwolak W, Nieznanski K. Amyloidogenic cross-seeding of Tau protein: Transient emergence of structural variants of fibrils. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201182. [PMID: 30024984 PMCID: PMC6053212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid aggregates of Tau protein have been implicated in etiology of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). When amyloid growth is induced by seeding with preformed fibrils assembled from the same protein, structural characteristics of the seed are usually imprinted in daughter generations of fibrils. This so-called conformational memory effect may be compromised when the seeding involves proteins with non-identical sequences leading to the emergence of distinct structural variants of fibrils (amyloid ‘strains’). Here, we investigate cross-seeding of full-length human Tau (FL Tau) with fibrils assembled from K18 and K18ΔK280 fragments of Tau in the presence of poly-L-glutamate (poly-Glu) as an enhancer of Tau aggregation. To study cross-seeding between Tau polypeptides and the role of the conformational memory effect in induction of Tau amyloid polymorphism, kinetic assays, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and limited proteolysis have been employed. The fastest fibrillization was observed for FL Tau monomers seeded with preformed K18 amyloid yielding daughter fibrils with unique trypsin digestion patterns. Morphological features of daughter FL Tau fibrils induced by K18 and K18ΔK280 seeds were reminiscent of the mother fibrils (i.e. straight paired fibrils and paired helical filaments (PHFs), respectively) but disappeared in the following generations which became similar to unpaired FL Tau amyloid fibrils formed de novo. The structural evolution observed in our study was accompanied by disappearance of the unique proteolysis profile originated from K18. Our findings may have implications for understanding molecular mechanisms of the emergence and stability of Tau amyloid strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Nizynski
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hanna Nieznanska
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Dec
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Solomiia Boyko
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Dzwolak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Nieznanski
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Abstract
A major challenge in the growing field of bioelectronic medicine is the development of tissue interface technologies promoting device integration with biological tissues. Materials based on organic bioelectronics show great promise due to a unique combination of electronic and ionic conductivity properties. In this review, we outline exciting developments in the field of organic bioelectronics and demonstrate the medical importance of these active, electronically controllable materials. Importantly, organic bioelectronics offer a means to control cell-surface attachment as required for many device-tissue applications. Experiments have shown that cells readily attach and proliferate on reduced but not oxidized organic bioelectronic materials. In another application, the active properties of organic bioelectronics were used to develop electronically triggered systems for drug release. After incorporating drugs by advanced loading strategies, small compound drugs were released upon electrochemical trigger, independent of charge. Another type of delivery device was used to achieve well-controlled, spatiotemporal delivery of cationic drugs. Via electrophoretic transport within a polymer, cations were delivered with single-cell precision. Finally, organic bioelectronic materials are commonly used as electrode coatings improving the electrical properties of recording and stimulation electrodes. Because such coatings drastically reduce the electrode impedance, smaller electrodes with improved signal-to-noise ratio can be fabricated. Thus, rapid technological advancement combined with the creation of tiny electronic devices reacting to changes in the tissue environment helps to promote the transition from standard pharmaceutical therapy to treatment based on 'electroceuticals'. Moreover, the widening repertoire of organic bioelectronics will expand the options for true biological interfaces, providing the basis for personalized bioelectronic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Löffler
- Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K Melican
- Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K P R Nilsson
- Division of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - A Richter-Dahlfors
- Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Surmacz-Chwedoruk W, Babenko V, Dec R, Szymczak P, Dzwolak W. The emergence of superstructural order in insulin amyloid fibrils upon multiple rounds of self-seeding. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32022. [PMID: 27558445 PMCID: PMC4997315 DOI: 10.1038/srep32022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Typically, elongation of an amyloid fibril entails passing conformational details of the mother seed to daughter generations of fibrils with high fidelity. There are, however, several factors that can potentially prevent such transgenerational structural imprinting from perpetuating, for example heterogeneity of mother seeds or so-called conformational switching. Here, we examine phenotypic persistence of bovine insulin amyloid ([BI]) upon multiple rounds of self-seeding under quiescent conditions. According to infrared spectroscopy, with the following passages of homologous seeding, daughter fibrils gradually depart from the mother seed’s spectral characteristics. We note that this transgenerational structural drift in [BI] amyloid leads toward fibrils with infrared, chiroptical, and morphological traits similar to those of the superstructural variant of fibrils which normally forms upon strong agitation of insulin solutions. However, in contrast to agitation-induced insulin amyloid, the superstructural assemblies of daughter fibrils isolated through self-seeding are sonication-resistant. Our results suggest that formation of single amyloid fibrils is not a dead-end of the amyloidogenic self-assembly. Instead, the process appears to continue toward the self-assembly of higher-order structures although on longer time-scales. From this perspective, the fast agitation-induced aggregation of insulin appears to be a shortcut to amyloid superstructures whose formation under quiescent conditions is slow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weronika Surmacz-Chwedoruk
- Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sokolowska 29/37, 01-142 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biotechnology and Antibiotics, Staroscinska 5, 02-516 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Viktoria Babenko
- Department of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Dec
- Department of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Szymczak
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Dzwolak
- Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sokolowska 29/37, 01-142 Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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10
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Generating Bona Fide Mammalian Prions with Internal Deletions. J Virol 2016; 90:6963-6975. [PMID: 27226369 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00555-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Mammalian prions are PrP proteins with altered structures causing transmissible fatal neurodegenerative diseases. They are self-perpetuating through formation of beta-sheet-rich assemblies that seed conformational change of cellular PrP. Pathological PrP usually forms an insoluble protease-resistant core exhibiting beta-sheet structures but no more alpha-helical content, loosing the three alpha-helices contained in the correctly folded PrP. The lack of a high-resolution prion structure makes it difficult to understand the dynamics of conversion and to identify elements of the protein involved in this process. To determine whether completeness of residues within the protease-resistant domain is required for prions, we performed serial deletions in the helix H2 C terminus of ovine PrP, since this region has previously shown some tolerance to sequence changes without preventing prion replication. Deletions of either four or five residues essentially preserved the overall PrP structure and mutant PrP expressed in RK13 cells were efficiently converted into bona fide prions upon challenge by three different prion strains. Remarkably, deletions in PrP facilitated the replication of two strains that otherwise do not replicate in this cellular context. Prions with internal deletion were self-propagating and de novo infectious for naive homologous and wild-type PrP-expressing cells. Moreover, they caused transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in mice, with similar biochemical signatures and neuropathologies other than the original strains. Prion convertibility and transfer of strain-specific information are thus preserved despite shortening of an alpha-helix in PrP and removal of residues within prions. These findings provide new insights into sequence/structure/infectivity relationship for prions. IMPORTANCE Prions are misfolded PrP proteins that convert the normal protein into a replicate of their own abnormal form. They are responsible for invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorders. Other aggregation-prone proteins appear to have a prion-like mode of expansion in brains, such as in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases. To date, the resolution of prion structure remains elusive. Thus, to genetically define the landscape of regions critical for prion conversion, we tested the effect of short deletions. We found that, surprisingly, removal of a portion of PrP, the C terminus of alpha-helix H2, did not hamper prion formation but generated infectious agents with an internal deletion that showed characteristics essentially similar to those of original infecting strains. Thus, we demonstrate that completeness of the residues inside prions is not necessary for maintaining infectivity and the main strain-specific information, while reporting one of the few if not the only bona fide prions with an internal deletion.
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11
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Garcia GA, Cohen SIA, Dobson CM, Knowles TPJ. Nucleation-conversion-polymerization reactions of biological macromolecules with prenucleation clusters. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:032712. [PMID: 24730879 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.032712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of biomolecules, such as peptides and proteins, into filaments is conventionally understood as a nucleated polymerization reaction. However, detailed analysis of experimental observation has revealed recently that nucleation pathways generate growth-competent nuclei via a cascade of metastable intermediate species, which are omitted in conventional models of filamentous growth based on classical nucleation theory. Here we take an analytical approach to generalizing the classical theory of nucleated polymerization to include the formation of these prenucleation clusters, providing a quantitative general classification of the behavior exhibited by these nucleation-conversion-polymerization reactions. A phase diagram is constructed, and analytical predictions are derived for key experimental observables. Using this approach, we delineate the characteristic time scales that determine the nature of biopolymer growth phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo A Garcia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel I A Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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12
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Eisele YS. From soluble aβ to progressive aβ aggregation: could prion-like templated misfolding play a role? Brain Pathol 2013; 23:333-41. [PMID: 23587139 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation, aggregation and deposition of Aβ peptides are pathological hallmarks in the brains of individuals affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) or by cerebral β-amyloid angiopathy (Aβ-CAA). While Aβ is a peptide of yet largely unknown function, it is constantly produced in the human brain where it normally remains in a soluble state. However, Aβ peptides are aggregation prone by their intrinsic ability to adopt alternative conformations rich in β-sheet structure that aggregate into oligomeric as well as fibrillar formations. This transition from soluble to aggregated state has been hypothesized to initiate the pathological cascade and is therefore subject to intensive research. Mounting evidence suggests prion-like templated misfolding as the biochemical phenomenon responsible for promoting progressive Aβ aggregation. Here, we review studies in vitro and in vivo that suggest that cerebral Aβ aggregation may indeed progress via prion-like templated misfolding. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to understanding initiation and progression of the disease and to developing therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne S Eisele
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.
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13
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Saverioni D, Notari S, Capellari S, Poggiolini I, Giese A, Kretzschmar HA, Parchi P. Analyses of protease resistance and aggregation state of abnormal prion protein across the spectrum of human prions. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:27972-85. [PMID: 23897825 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.477547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by tissue accumulation of a misfolded, β-sheet-enriched isoform (scrapie prion protein (PrP(Sc))) of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). At variance with PrP(C), PrP(Sc) shows a partial resistance to protease digestion and forms highly aggregated and detergent-insoluble polymers, two properties that have been consistently used to distinguish the two proteins. In recent years, however, the idea that PrP(Sc) itself comprises heterogeneous species has grown. Most importantly, a putative proteinase K (PK)-sensitive form of PrP(Sc) (sPrP(Sc)) is being increasingly investigated for its possible role in prion infectivity, neurotoxicity, and strain variability. The study of sPrP(Sc), however, remains technically challenging because of the need of separating it from PrP(C) without using proteases. In this study, we have systematically analyzed both PK resistance and the aggregation state of purified PrP(Sc) across the whole spectrum of the currently characterized human prion strains. The results show that PrP(Sc) isolates manifest significant strain-specific differences in their PK digestion profile that are only partially explained by differences in the size of aggregates, suggesting that other factors, likely acting on PrP(Sc) aggregate stability, determine its resistance to proteolysis. Fully protease-sensitive low molecular weight aggregates were detected in all isolates but in a limited proportion of the overall PrP(Sc) (i.e. <10%), arguing against a significant role of slowly sedimenting PK-sensitive PrP(Sc) in the biogenesis of prion strains. Finally, we highlight the limitations of current operational definitions of sPrP(Sc) and of the quantitative analytical measurements that are not based on the isolation of a fully PK-sensitive PrP(Sc) form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Saverioni
- From the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
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14
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Solforosi L, Milani M, Mancini N, Clementi M, Burioni R. A closer look at prion strains: characterization and important implications. Prion 2013; 7:99-108. [PMID: 23357828 PMCID: PMC3609129 DOI: 10.4161/pri.23490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious proteins that are responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and consist primarily of scrapie prion protein (PrPSc), a pathogenic isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). The absence of nucleic acids as essential components of the infectious prions is the most striking feature associated to these diseases. Additionally, different prion strains have been isolated from animal diseases despite the lack of DNA or RNA molecules. Mounting evidence suggests that prion-strain-specific features segregate with different PrPSc conformational and aggregation states.
Strains are of practical relevance in prion diseases as they can drastically differ in many aspects, such as incubation period, PrPSc biochemical profile (e.g., electrophoretic mobility and glycoform ratio) and distribution of brain lesions. Importantly, such different features are maintained after inoculation of a prion strain into genetically identical hosts and are relatively stable across serial passages.
This review focuses on the characterization of prion strains and on the wide range of important implications that the study of prion strains involves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Solforosi
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology; University Vita-Salute San Raffaele; Milan, Italy.
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Zhu C, Liu L, Yang Q, Lv F, Wang S. Water-soluble conjugated polymers for imaging, diagnosis, and therapy. Chem Rev 2012; 112:4687-735. [PMID: 22670807 DOI: 10.1021/cr200263w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 843] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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16
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From macroscopic measurements to microscopic mechanisms of protein aggregation. J Mol Biol 2012; 421:160-71. [PMID: 22406275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 351] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Revised: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability to relate bulk experimental measurements of amyloid formation to the microscopic assembly processes that underlie protein aggregation is critical in order to achieve a quantitative understanding of this complex phenomenon. In this review, we focus on the insights from classical and modern theories of linear growth phenomena and discuss how theory allows the roles of growth and nucleation processes to be defined through the analysis of experimental in vitro time courses of amyloid formation. Moreover, we discuss the specific signatures in the time course of the reactions that correspond to the actions of primary and secondary nucleation processes, and outline strategies for identifying and characterising the nature of the dominant process responsible in each case for the generation of new aggregates. We highlight the power of a global analysis of experimental time courses acquired under different conditions, and discuss how such an analysis allows a rigorous connection to be established between the macroscopic measurements and the rates of the individual microscopic processes that underlie the phenomenon of amyloid formation.
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Hedlin P, Taschuk R, Potter A, Griebel P, Napper S. Detection and control of prion diseases in food animals. ISRN VETERINARY SCIENCE 2012; 2012:254739. [PMID: 23738120 PMCID: PMC3658581 DOI: 10.5402/2012/254739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, represent a unique form of infectious disease based on misfolding of a self-protein (PrPC) into a pathological, infectious conformation (PrPSc). Prion diseases of food animals gained notoriety during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak of the 1980s. In particular, disease transmission to humans, to the generation of a fatal, untreatable disease, elevated the perspective on livestock prion diseases from food production to food safety. While the immediate threat posed by BSE has been successfully addressed through surveillance and improved management practices, another prion disease is rapidly spreading. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease of cervids, has been confirmed in wild and captive populations with devastating impact on the farmed cervid industries. Furthermore, the unabated spread of this disease through wild populations threatens a natural resource that is a source of considerable economic benefit and national pride. In a worst-case scenario, CWD may represent a zoonotic threat either through direct transmission via consumption of infected cervids or through a secondary food animal, such as cattle. This has energized efforts to understand prion diseases as well as to develop tools for disease detection, prevention, and management. Progress in each of these areas is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hedlin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E3 ; Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E3
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18
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Cohen SIA, Vendruscolo M, Welland ME, Dobson CM, Terentjev EM, Knowles TPJ. Nucleated polymerization with secondary pathways. I. Time evolution of the principal moments. J Chem Phys 2012; 135:065105. [PMID: 21842954 DOI: 10.1063/1.3608916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly processes resulting in linear structures are often observed in molecular biology, and include the formation of functional filaments such as actin and tubulin, as well as generally dysfunctional ones such as amyloid aggregates. Although the basic kinetic equations describing these phenomena are well-established, it has proved to be challenging, due to their non-linear nature, to derive solutions to these equations except for special cases. The availability of general analytical solutions provides a route for determining the rates of molecular level processes from the analysis of macroscopic experimental measurements of the growth kinetics, in addition to the phenomenological parameters, such as lag times and maximal growth rates that are already obtainable from standard fitting procedures. We describe here an analytical approach based on fixed-point analysis, which provides self-consistent solutions for the growth of filamentous structures that can, in addition to elongation, undergo internal fracturing and monomer-dependent nucleation as mechanisms for generating new free ends acting as growth sites. Our results generalise the analytical expression for sigmoidal growth kinetics from the Oosawa theory for nucleated polymerisation to the case of fragmenting filaments. We determine the corresponding growth laws in closed form and derive from first principles a number of relationships which have been empirically established for the kinetics of the self-assembly of amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel I A Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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19
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Dynamics of polymerization shed light on the mechanisms that lead to multiple amyloid structures of the prion protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2011; 1814:1305-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2011.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Shi Q, Zhang BY, Gao C, Han J, Wang GR, Chen C, Tian C, Dong XP. The diversities of PrP(Sc) distributions and pathologic changes in various brain regions from a Chinese patient with G114V genetic CJD. Neuropathology 2011; 32:51-9. [PMID: 21732990 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01237.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD; one of the prion diseases) is caused by point mutations and insertions in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Previously we have reported a Chinese gCJD case with a substitution of valine (V) for glycine (G) at codon 114. To investigate the detailed pathogenic and pathologic characteristics of G114V gCJD, 10 different brain regions were thoroughly analyzed. PrP-specific Western blots and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays identified larger amounts of PrP(Sc) in the regions of brain cortex. Assays of the transcriptions of PrP-specific mRNA by RT-PCR and real-time PCR showed comparable levels in 10 brain regions. In line with the distribution of PrP(Sc) , typical vacuolations in brains, markedly in four cortex regions, were detected. Contrast to the distributing features of spongiform and of PrP(Sc) , massive gliosis was detected in all brain regions by GFAP-specific IHC tests. Moreover, two-dimensional gel immunoblots found three major sets of PrP(Sc) spots, indicating that PrP(Sc) in brain tissues was a mixture of molecules with different biochemical properties. The data here provide the pathogenic and neuropathological features of G114V gCJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping District, Beijing, China
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Wallace R. Structure and dynamics of the ‘protein folding code’ inferred using Tlusty's topological rate distortion approach. Biosystems 2011; 103:18-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2010.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2010] [Revised: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 09/11/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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22
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Manuelidis L. Nuclease resistant circular DNAs copurify with infectivity in scrapie and CJD. J Neurovirol 2010; 17:131-45. [PMID: 21165784 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-010-0007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Revised: 10/19/2010] [Accepted: 10/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In transmissible encephalopathies (TSEs), it is commonly believed that the host prion protein transforms itself into an infectious form that encodes the many distinct TSE agent strains without any nucleic acid. Using a Ф29 polymerase and chromatography strategy, highly infectious culture and brain preparations of three different geographic TSE agents all contained novel circular DNAs. Two circular "Sphinx" sequences, of 1.8 and 2.4 kb, copurified with infectious particles in sucrose gradients and, as many protected viruses, resisted nuclease digestion. Each contained a replicase ORF related to microviridae that infect commensal Acinetobacter. Infectious gradient fractions also contained nuclease-resistant 16 kb mitochondrial DNAs and analysis of >4,000 nt demonstrated a 100% identity with their species-specific sequences. This confirmed the fidelity of the newly identified sequences detailed here. Conserved replicase regions within the two Sphinx DNAs were ultimately detected by PCR in cytoplasmic preparations from normal cells and brain but were 2,500-fold less than in parallel-infected samples. No trace of the two Sphinx replicases was found in enzymes, detergents, or other preparative materials using exhaustive PCR cycles. The Sphinx sequences uncovered here could have a role in TSE infections despite their apparently symbiotic, low-level persistence in normal cells and tissues. These, as well as other cryptic circular DNAs, may cause or contribute to neurodegeneration and infection-associated tumor transformation. The current results also raise the intriguing possibility that mammals may incorporate more of the prokaryotic world in their cytoplasm than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Manuelidis
- Yale University Medical School, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Gabrielsson EO, Tybrandt K, Hammarström P, Berggren M, Nilsson KPR. Spatially controlled amyloid reactions using organic electronics. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2010; 6:2153-2161. [PMID: 20814927 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201001157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal protein aggregates, so called amyloid fibrils, are mainly known as pathological hallmarks of a wide range of diseases, but in addition these robust well-ordered self-assembled natural nanostructures can also be utilized for creating distinct nanomaterials for bioelectronic devices. However, current methods for producing amyloid fibrils in vitro offer no spatial control. Herein, we demonstrate a new way to produce and spatially control the assembly of amyloid-like structures using an organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) to pump distinct cations to a reservoir containing a negatively charged polypeptide. The morphology and kinetics of the created proteinaceous nanomaterials depends on the ion and current used, which we leveraged to create layers incorporating different conjugated thiophene derivatives, one fluorescent (p-FTAA) and one conducting (PEDOT-S). We anticipate that this new application for the OEIP will be useful for both biological studies of amyloid assembly and fibrillogenesis as well as for creating new bioelectronic nanomaterials and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik O Gabrielsson
- Organic Electronics, ITN, Linköping University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
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Mossuto MF, Dhulesia A, Devlin G, Frare E, Kumita JR, de Laureto PP, Dumoulin M, Fontana A, Dobson CM, Salvatella X. The non-core regions of human lysozyme amyloid fibrils influence cytotoxicity. J Mol Biol 2010; 402:783-96. [PMID: 20624399 PMCID: PMC2954362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2010] [Revised: 07/01/2010] [Accepted: 07/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the cause of the cytotoxicity of species populated during amyloid formation is crucial to understand the molecular basis of protein deposition diseases. We have examined different types of aggregates formed by lysozyme, a protein found as fibrillar deposits in patients with familial systemic amyloidosis, by infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and depolymerization experiments, and analyzed how they affect cell viability. We have characterized two types of human lysozyme amyloid structures formed in vitro that differ in morphology, molecular structure, stability, and size of the cross-β core. Of particular interest is that the fibrils with a smaller core generate a significant cytotoxic effect. These findings indicate that protein aggregation can give rise to species with different degree of cytotoxicity due to intrinsic differences in their physicochemical properties.
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